System and method generating postal/carrier rates using encoded information

Abstract

A system and method for computing postal/carrier rates encodes a weight value for an item to be shipped or mailed in bar code form. The bar code is scanned, at a different location, to input the weight value into a program which computes a postal/carrier rate. A mark bearing the correct postage is then generated and affixed to the item. By encoding and scanning weight information in bar-code form, office efficiency is enhanced and costs are significantly reduced. Instead of bar codes, maxicodes and other coded marks may be used. Further, additional data may be encoded with the weight value for billing and accounting purposes. The invention is also especially well suited to computing postal/carrier rates for heavy and unusually sized items of mail.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for generating information for sending items by mail or private carrier, comprising: 
       weighing an item on an electronic scale;  
       printing encoded information on a sheet of material, said encoded information including information indicative of a weight of said item as determined by said electronic scale;  
       providing a program at a remote computer terminal which computes postal/private carrier rates based on weight information;  
       scanning said encoded information to input the weight of said item into the program; and  
       computing a postal/private carrier rate based on the weight of said item input in said scanning step using said program.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
       placing a mark indicative of the postal/carrier rate computed in said computing step on said item; and  
       sending said item by mail or private carrier.  
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sheet of material is adapted for attachment to said item, said scanning step including scanning said encoded information from said sheet of material as attached to said item. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said encoded information is encoded using at least one of bar codes, maxicodes, and holographic codes. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said encoded information further includes at least one of customer account data, department data, method of mailing/shipping data, employee identification data, and company identification data. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
       entering said at least one of customer account data, department data, method of mailing/shipping data, employee identification data, and company identification data into one of said electronic scale and said printer, said entering step being performed by a user operating an input device of said electronic scale and said printer.  
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
       associating said postal/private carrier rate computed using said program with said at least one of customer account data, department data, method of mailing/shipping data, employee identification data, and company identification data for performing one or more billing or accounting functions.  
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein when at least one of said data is scanned into the program, a predetermined field of the program is automatically filled in with said data. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 5 , wherein when at least one of said data is scanned into the program, a corresponding feature of the program is automatically activated. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein said corresponding feature includes a display of a screen of the program corresponding to said at least one of said data. 
     
     
       11. A system for generating information for sending items by mail or private carrier, comprising: 
       an electronic scale which weighs an item;  
       a printer which prints encoded information on a sheet of material, said encoded information indicative of a weight of said item as determined by said electronic scale;  
       a computer terminal, remotely located from the electronic scale, which runs a program for computing postal/private carrier rates based on weight information; and  
       a scanner which scans said encoded information on said sheet of material and inputs information indicative of the weight of said item into the program at said computer terminal, said program computing a postal/private carrier rate based on said information indicative of the weight of said item.  
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said printer is incorporated within a housing of said electronic scale. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said printer is incorporated within a stand-alone unit interfaced to a communications port of said electronic scale. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said sheet of material is adapted for attachment to said item. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
       a printer interfaced to said computer terminal, said program instructing said printer to print a mark indicative of the postal/private carrier rate computed based on said information indicative of the weight of said item.  
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said encoded information is encoded by said printer using at least one of bar codes, maxicodes, and holographic codes. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said printer is incorporated within a stand-alone unit interfaced to a communications port of said electronic scale, and includes an input device for allowing a user to enter said at least one of customer account data, department data, method of mailing/shipping data, employee identification data, and company identification data to be printed by said printer. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said encoded information further includes at least one of customer account data, department data, method of mailing/shipping data, employee identification data, and company identification data. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein said scale includes an input device for allowing a user to enter said at least one of customer account data, department data, method of mailing/shipping data, employee identification data, and company identification data to be printed by said printer. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the program associates said postal/private carrier rate computed using said program with said at least one of customer account data, department data, method of mailing/shipping data, employee identification data, and company identification data for performing one or more billing or accounting functions. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18 , wherein when at least one of said data is scanned into the program, a predetermined field of the program is automatically filled in with said data. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 18 , wherein when said scanner scans at least one of said data into the program, the program automatically activates a corresponding feature of the program. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 22 , wherein said corresponding feature of the program includes display of a screen of the program corresponding to said at least one of said data.